The organist librarian

 Wed. Up early and parked at station. To Farringdon and Elizabeth line to Liverpool street. I had to wait for the train I had booked which was the cheapest option. Reading Austen Ivereigh. Arrived on time and got U2 bus. Walk to Woolf institute. Some people got lost and were late. Beth gave an excellent talk. 24 signed up and 22 came! Tour of the institute and good discussions. Photos outside. Then 2 buses to the mosque and no 2 bus was late and then sat for 5 minutes Our guide was very nice and laid back so time for a hot drink first. What a stunning building! Really beautiful. Ate my sandwiches and charged up my phone. Then bus to King's and queue for evensong. Men sang well but the sound is poor for speech. Byrd anthem. Readers are lay. It seems some evensongs the second reading is replaced by poetry! We did not hear the full organ at all. The hymn was to plainchant so nobody joined in. ThenFirmly I eblieve. got bus back to the station and wait for train to Liverpool St and home

 Tuesday to Shirley Methodist - I did not realise I needed to book an appointment. I did get 2 tubes and batteries. To All Saints found door locked. Supervision group went well. Left car there and buses via Tulse Hill. Result I was sitting at the side. Liz did not make it - she wasn't well and went to Grainne's for rubbish collection. Road dug up so both our bus stops were closed. Church was full and I sat with David Mitchell from Mitchell. None of us knew the tune for Lord enthroned! It was a sung Eucharist with incense. The bishop set the right note of Easter. Lots of hymns. I did not go up for the viewing. Tea served in church which did not really work with so many people there. Saw lots I know and a councillor from Battersea and a lady from Somerset married to Richard from Imperial College. Ivor knew so many people and really had a gift for getting to know people. Bishop Rose was there. Spoke to Bishop Christopher. I just missed Catriona! A memorable occasion. We both went

 Up at 5 and got to Caterham at 6.15. Clocks went forward an hour. Of course we started late. Jaimee lit the Easter candle and then trie dto push incense into it. Carol starting lighting our candle and of course they blew out! 3 in the choir and went well apart from the psalm at the gradual. I sang Exultet - waited 50 years to do that. J had read the said bit so I just stood and waited. Moving Exultet to after the readings makes for a lot of musical items on top of each other! When I got off the organ to go to the font my right ankle objected. Howells went well at the end. Breakfast. 6 in choir at 10 and Paul Miller played well. The only messup was the piano for the last song with the wretched percussion. Choir got 3 bars behind me. Peregrine said they could not hear the piano! Hallelujah chorus with trumpet. Picked up Liz and then to Acton. Delicious lunch and we played Trivial pursuit. I was tired so home by 5. Urbi et Orbi and Canterbury cathedral on TV.  Easter Monday Liz at messy

 Sat SM from theatreland with Richard and Jolley. Liz went to help Grainne and Dennis brought some stuff down. Garden folk arrived after lunch and did footings. It's a jungle next door. Vermeer exhibition excellent. Art fund allowed free watching of the film from the Riksmuseum. To Mass and then to bingo at St John's. This proved to be enjoyable and the food was good and we both won chocs! AnnMarie was there. Sat with Patsy.  Rain. Sunday played Bach Descent from the cross and Erbarm dich. Peregrine was back and the Humfrey Hymn to God the father went well. He did not stay to practise. Paul came and I was so tired. Not only did the service start late again it was far too long - finished at 11.30! Long spiel from Noel about joining the church council. The hymns were not suitable for Passion Sunday and I spoke to Peregrine and Julie. There must be a discussion about this. Did not go to Henry's bowling party. Pulled out ivy and cut back roses next door as the footings of the w

 Wed cab to East Croydon and train to St Pancras. Walked to King's Cross where we had a ride in a buggy to a First class carriage on LNER! A nice surprise. Chicken lunch. Arrived on time and delivered servers medals at RC cathedral.and walked to get 53 bus from Grey Market street. Could have got the bus there! The hotel is not Leonardo's so up the hill to the Ramada Encore which is fine. We ate there steak and ale pie and waffles. Big helpings. Lent group at St Martin's. Thursday bus and metro to Tynemouth to meet Barbara after a huge breakfast. Walked to the seaside and had coffee. Then walked to Tynemouth castle inn (30s) and we saw Cullercoats church which has a famous organ. Stuart have us a lift to Spanish village where we had tea at Valerie's. Then lift back to the station and just missed a Metro. The service was disrupted. Sainsbury's for food. Bus back to hotel. The Apprentice.  Friday buses to Ryton and Jill's. Asa is a delight! Jill then took us all to

 Saturday a memorable day. SM walk in Muswell Hill. To Parliament and met up with Kate, Lyn and Graham. So many people and buggies! The tourist trade has clearly revived. Glad I took my chair and the 2 hours went quickly. Ecological Stations and Rosary and Laudate Deum meditation. William Rhind and animators came. Sean and Ciaran came and Louise and Tom went to a party in Coulsdon. We went to Mass and I spoke to the lady from CAFOD. Petition nearly at 1000! Sunday Lent 1 Played Demessieux on Attende domine which Linda and I sang. Prelude and fughetta Franck. A mosy enjoyable family lunch at Westow House. Lamb and lemon posset. Had a sleep! Evensong Howells Like as the hart. Wierd hymn Christian dost thou see them to St Andrew of Crete by Dykes. Throwdown was good. Ben Fogle in the Congo. Antiques roadshow. Petition passed 1000!  Monday woke at 6 and 9.15. Chat to Ann. Swim and aerobics. Barbara's Mum had died last week - she is Jamaican. CMF zoom on the situation with Tim Livesey a

 Thursday 1st. Art and finished the picture with Louise. Excellent animators meeting and with met Eloi. Henry came about underground Monument costume.To Mayday hospital chaplaincy and interfaith meeting. Agreed on a service on Match 7th. Friday continued taking decoarations down. Candlemas so to 10 a.m. Mass at Beckenham. Fr Damien bumbled around and ended up touring the church to bless the candles! He then said Let us pray and realised it should be the Gloria. At least Blackfriars had the chants! We both went to Unacc. To No 2 Temple place The Glass heart - lovely stained glass and glass. To Breadline cafe for fish and chips and then 6 p.m. at St Martin's for Lite. Amazing light effects. Underground to Battersea Power station. Light festival was not projections onto the building but a few effective light features one controlled by a piano keyboard. I was exhausted.  Saturday SM Jolley not allowed to film in the Olympic park without permission! St John's and an excellent replac

 Nice email from Harriet Crabtree about Bishop Charles. I got up at 7 for birdwatch - very few birds this year despite a roseate dawn and full moon. Hurtado. Adjusted heating again. To panto at St George's hall Beckenham and Henry and family came. He went on the stage at the end. A good show. Read for the first time at St Edmund's and another reader Mavis welcomed me. First nget the right missalettes and only one copy of the prayers. To the manor born tribute on C5.  Sunday the hymns this morning were pretty naff. Played RVW Greensleeves and Moeran Air from Seranade for orchestra and Noel Quand Jesus naquit Balbatre. We sang What child is this. Yoke is off to Malaysia and Elaine did not come. It seems Candlemas next week is to be Together @10 and not the proper service which is a great shame. I had to dash to the loo after the service and then returned to rehearse the toccatas. Church very cold again. Just a minute on radio cheered me up. The first reading and Gospel today were

 Sunday played Walther n Jesu meine Freude and Buxtehude In dulci jubilo. Elaine Matthews came and we rehearsed the Rutter for the funeral. All this plus being awake 3 times in the night worrying about the Grow meeting meant that I managed to mess up the first hymn. Both hymnbooks were open at the refrain of Here I am Lord so it took me a while to change back to the verses. That's a first! The anthem was the Huron carol which went well and it was good to hear Elaine singing the Nardone and the hymns. It need not have worried - the Grow meeting went well and Holy Week will be as it used to be! Vigil on Easter Day when clocks go forward 6.30 a.m. Cooked lunch. Fell asleep! To Christ's chapel Dulwich for recital by Lucy Morrell which was a delight. Bach 545. Wie schon leuchtet Pachelbel, Buxtehude, Greiss and JSB the latter very tricky. Florence Price Adoration rather odd. Durufle Epiphanie. Dubos Marche des Rois Mages unlike Ian Marilyn played the long held high note when indicat

 New Year's Day concert from Vienna was as always a delight.  Tribute to Bruckner born 1824 in the interval from Vienna. This is fun! To St John's for midday Mass and then to the Westow pub for lunch with Andrew, Danny, Michael and Tom. Interesting sermon from Fr Tom on the circumcision. Trout and chocolate brownie. We were sitting in front of Jim Jelley at Mass and I asked if they were coming to lunch. They said they were going to visit someone celebrating 100 years old today called Ada. We got a card and flowers and went to visit her. She looks frail but Sylvia has an excellent setup to get her in and out of bed. Nice cake. Met her son and granddaughters. Only connect, University challenge, Mastermind, Wild Scandinavia, Bake off.  Tuesday windy and wet so no swim. A lot of time getting my laptop linked to the printer. The Vortex play by Noel Coward - Hamlet influnce. Margaret Leighton excellent. Mr Barnes and the Post Office very disturbing. Wild Scandinavia. We both saw mous